WEST HOLLYWOOD - SKYCASTLE

For every beautifully designed home in California, there’s one of these. An over-the-top, inefficiently designed, energy sucking, space-consuming private residence designed to appeal to the Baller. West Hollywood’s “Skycastle” is yet another one and it can be yours for only $50 Million.

It’s an enormous concrete, glass and steel structure which is referred to as ‘Bauhaus’ in style although, personally, I think the 12,000 square foot property in the hills of Hollywood looks more like part Cathedral and part Dungeon.

In all fairness, when initially built and decorated with Corbusier furniture, and without the colored LED lighting and all the added modern interior touches – the home was far prettier (as you can see below in this 1996 photo):

The style of the home is typical of architect David Lawrence Gray’s private residences, boasting sixty-foot ceilings, massive glass windows, interior open staircases and great, cavernous rooms finished in stone, concrete, and steel.

According to the architect, and I quote, “the design revolved around three distinct programmatic requirements: 1.) generate a sanctuary-house that addressed the client’s desires for privacy, rest and repose; 2.) that the house could also serve as an entertainment venue that would accommodate catered events set within a backdrop of the client’s extensive art collection and the magnificent views of LA at night, and 3.) to incorporate a home-office that would service the needs of an international business leader always on the move.

The architectural response was to create a modern acropolis; a series of interconnected buildings each serving a unique purpose, linked by a large central art gallery that would be the hub of the house when the client entertained large numbers of guests at a time.”

Situated prominently atop it’s own privately gated, half-acre promontory above Hollywood Hills’ Sunset Strip, the estate has floor-to-ceiling walls of glass and skylights captures the panoramic views of the city to the beautiful Pacific Ocean.

The glass staircase escorts you over the voluminous, 60-foot grand entry and into the master bedroom suite, richly appointed with burl wood details and an opulent dual master bathroom.

The Robb Report states that “Musician Jed Leiber bought the house in 2012 and converted the two-bedroom guest house into a state-of-the-art recording studio. Leiber also installed security measures fit for a modern-day castle. Individual rooms within the gated property require a programmed fob for entry, ensuring privacy for residents. In the master suite, a safe room can be sealed off by a bulletproof door to secure valuables. Sunset Plaza Drive surrounds the half-acre promontory like a moat, adding an additional layer of privacy.

The estate also features a chef’s kitchen, 7 bedroom suites, a large movie theater, a gym, a Koi pond, a motor court, a sparkling pool and spa, and a separate 2-bed guesthouse.